Path to Pattison’s

Path to Pattison’s capstone project featured the charter school, Pattison’s Academy. The Academy provides training and therapy for children with severe disabilities. Respecting and valuing the mission and services that Pattison’s provides, the group chose to focus on those external customers servicing the Pattison’s students. To that end, the group interviewed Occupational Therapy students from the Medical University of South Carolina that work with the students at Pattison’s to gauge their readiness for interacting with the diverse student body. The results were mixed regarding their preparedness, but the Occupational Therapy students were consistent in the enjoyment that they gained from working with the Pattison’s students.  The group also toured Pattison’s Academy and spoke with the employees to ascertain their experiences interacting with the Occupational Therapy students. Their observations indicated that the students could improve their sensitivity and communication skills when in the presence of the Pattison’s students and parents. Recognizing that the staff at MUSC already provides diversity training to Occupational Therapy students, the group will provide this feedback to the administrators of the program so that they may incorporate the findings of our interviews into their training program to ensure that future Occupational Therapy students are well prepared to best serve the diverse needs of students at Pattison’s Academy.